Grease Monkey
by TheDuckKnight
Summary: Jim Kirk wasn't the only one to be recruited by Admiral Pike. Rated for language, violence and possibly some scenes later on. Eventual McCoy/OC DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first Star Trek fanfiction, so please go easy on me. I've done some research for the various hints (well, not exactly hints) at Mick's species, so if I've gotten anything wrong please feel free to PM me or leave it in a review. P.S who's seen Into Darkness? Amazeballs, right?! Benedict really needs to stick to ling-haired villains! anyway, hope you enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the laptop this was written on, the AC/DC album i listened to whilst writing this and Mick**

**Summary: Jim Kirk wasn't the only one to be personally recruited by Admiral Pike**

* * *

**1**

The red, slim Ducati glided like a dream round the streets of Chicago, the engine purring like a satisfied cat. And that was exactly the opposite of its rider; unsatisfied.

Bringing the bike to a stop outside of a rowdy bar, they slowly climbed off. They wore skin-tight black jeans, black combat boots, a grease-stained black tank and a worn leather jacket. Lifting the helmet of their head, the unruly chocolate curls tumbled down their back, the blond streaks even bolder in their dark appearance. Their face was angular, pale and plain; because that was exactly what Mickey was – plain. Not.

Placing her helmet into the bike's compartment under the seat, she strutted into the bar with all eyes on her. It wasn't in surprise, oh no. in fact Mick was a regular there, but she was met with fear-filled eyes. Everyone knew Mick, and they knew that she wasn't to be messed with. Especially during happy hour.

"Usual love?" the British voice asked. John always had the night shift and knew Mick like the back of his hand. If the back of his hand was completely wild and unpredictable, that is.

"Yep," she said, popping the 'p' to show her annoyance. John nodded and went off to get her usual order whilst the girl hopped up onto one of the bar stools. Placing her fingers on her temples to soothe the pounding headache she had, she closed her eyes and listened carefully to the noise around her, trying to find something calming to focus on. The shouting voices around her were making it very hard to concentrate. Sometimes she wished that she could be able to just delve into people's minds as easily as her mother had been able to, but she couldn't. It probably had something to do with her mixed species, but maybe it was because going through someone else's mind just repulsed her.

"Jack on the rocks, darling. You ok?" John asked, sliding the glass down to Mick. Opening her eyes, she nodded and pointed to her head. "My other half is killing me," she said, causing a few confused looks to be thrown her way. John nodded, shooting her a comforting smile. John was her closest friend. _More like my only friend, _she thought. He was one of the only people to know of her Ullian heritage. Not that she was ashamed, but the knowledge that she could force herself into someone's mind and look at their memories put some people off.

"Hey doll," a low voice whispered into her ear. She cringed at the stink of stale alcohol on the man's breath and leaned away from him. He continued to invade her personal space. "Do you mind?" she seethed, her jaw tight and the vein in her right temple throbbing. The man grinned, showing the gaps in his teeth, his eyes wild. He obviously liked the reaction he was getting from her. _Damn masochists._

"How's about me and you get to know each other better?" he asked, one hand inching its way towards her leg. It seemed the whole bar was holding its breath as Mick looked down at the man's hand, now caressing her thigh, then back up into the leering face of the man. "Take your hand off me, now," she growled. Her once light hazel eyes now resembled a dark abyss rather than the dark honey they usually reminded people of. Though she exuded toughness and anger, she really wasn't like that; she was just very picky with the people she associated with. Something that she was unfortunately going to have to teach to the man with a death wish.

"Oh come on babe, live a little," he said, his putrid breath causing her eyes to water. She noticed John shift from the corner of her eye and heard the Brit say, "Hey man, leave the girl alone, or get out of my bar."

The man turned his head to John, his eyes dark. "I'll teach you to not poke your nose into other people's business, _mate_," he said, imitating the bartender's accent.

Mick had decided that she, and the rest of the bar, had had enough of this man, who's hand was dangerously far up her thigh. Sighing, she wondered how trouble just always, somehow, managed to find her.

"You have five seconds to get your hand off me and clear off," she said, her voice dangerously low. The atmosphere in the bar tensed even further when the man turned round to sneer at the girl next to him. "Or what, darling?"

She smiled. "Or this."

He didn't have any time to react when her fist collided with the side of his cheek, causing him to slip off his stool. Righting himself, he tried to grab hold of her hair but she pressed his hand into her scalp and twisted his wrist so that he was now in front of her with his arm behind his back. Kicking his back with her boot, she pushed him to the floor. She didn't acknowledge his hovering foot until it was coming into contact with the side of her jaw and the familiar copper taste filled her mouth. The bar was now in full uproar, the shouting public creating a circle for the two fighting. Spitting the blood from her mouth, Mick glared at the man who was now kneeling in front of her, catching his breath. Knowing it was cheap but her only shot, she strode forwards, grabbed the man's head and kneed him in the face, grimacing when she heard the tell-tale crack of his nose. He yelled out in pain and anger, clutching his bleeding nose. He lunged forwards, his bloody hands outstretched in front of him. Drawing back another fist, she punched him square in the jaw, the momentum pushing him backwards onto a table, the occupants fleeing from their seats. She continued to pummel the man on the table, punching and kicking every bit of him she could get to.

"No-one-touches-me-or-insults-my-friends!" she shouted, punching his face from side to side in between every word. She felt a strong hand on her shoulder and turned around to find a pair of steely blue eyes locked with hers. "I think he's had enough, Miss," a strong but quiet voice said. It may have been the knock that her head had taken, but she found that the voice belonged to the blue eyes.

The man led her to a table in the corner, pushing her gently down into one of the chairs. Mick watched as two security guards took the beaten man outside, cringing at the amount of blood she saw. John was going to kill her for messing up the bar on his shift. The man in question came over, her neglected drink in his hand. A small, thankful smile sent her way and he was gone, back to cleaning the glasses behind the counter. She tried to pick up her glass but hissed at the pain that shot through her hand.

"That was quite some fight there, Miss."

Oh right. The man opposite her was so quiet that she had almost forgotten he was there. Mick now looked at the man more carefully; he had short, graying hair, a wrinkled and wise face and… "Oh god, you're Starfleet," she said, groaning. She had had enough run-ins in the past with various Starfleet members. She remembered one from a few months ago, the burly Red coat who she had christened Cupcake. Something from the man's knowing smile told her that he too knew what she was thinking about.

"Yes, I am. My name's Admiral Pike."

Mick's face blanched and she choked on her drink. "_The_ Admiral Pike? As in the new Captain of the god-like beauty that is _The USS Enterprise_?!" she exclaimed. The Admiral chuckled at her excitement, thinking that she looked like a child when her face light up at the mention of the _Enterprise_. "Yes, I am, and I'm going to overlook the fact that you've obviously hacked into Starfleet to know that information."

Mick grinned, the amusement in the Admiral's voice evident. "Well, ok, maybe I did. But stop pretending like you're not impressed, Sir." Pike looked at the girl over the top of his bourbon. "Touché, Miss…"

"Lockwood. Mickey Lockwood, Sir."

"Ah," he said, a small wise smile on his face. "So you're the infamous Miss Lockwood. I've heard many things about you."

"All bad things I hope, Admiral. And it's Mickey, or Mick. Sir."

He chuckled at that. "Well, mostly bad, _Mick_, but some good as well. You're disciplinary record is… well, it's shit isn't it?"

Mick howled in laughter, slapping the table-top. "Ah, that sir, is the biggest understatement of the year. But yes, it's shit," she said cheekily, shrugging her shoulders. The girl intrigued Pike; he had a feeling that she would do well in Starfleet.

"I've also heard that you're a genius when it comes to Engineering. You've built quite a few impressive things, Mick, and some that Starfleet would kill to get their hands on," he said, his eyes eyeing the gun strapped to her belt that was concealed under her jacket. Her eyes looked down to where they were looking at the photon laser, something she's concocted a few years ago when she had accidentally stumbled across a crate of Starfleet-issued missiles. She grinned. "Like what you see, Admiral?"

Pike grinned at the young girl sat in front of him. Yes, she would do well at Starfleet. He placed his drink down on the table whilst looking round the bar. It had now emptied slightly and they were the only ones talking. Crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair, he stared at the girl. She didn't squirm in her seat or look around, like someone else would. She simply stared back, waiting for him to talk.

"I think you would do well at Starfleet, Mick," he finally said. Mick's eyes bugged out of her head whilst she said, "What? No one in their right bloody mind would let me into that school. No offence Sir, but I doubt someone even with your rank could get me into that school. And besides," she said, taking a deep gulp of the whisky in front of her. "Why would I want to? There's no action at Starfleet; you're observers, not fighters. Scientists, not assassins."

"And would you like to be an assassin, Mick?" he asked. He noticed that the girl's face hardened at what he said. "If it comes to that, then yes Sir. Sometimes, the only help you can give someone is the ability to get rid of the person causing trouble."

"And you'd know all about trouble, wouldn't you? You and your people have caused enough trouble as it is, Mick."

Pike felt the front of his Starfleet uniform get pulled towards the girl, who was now leaning over the table with a murderous expression. "Don't go there, Admiral," she growled.

"But it's true, isn't it? And you want to know who had to stop them?"

Mick growled and let go of the Admiral. She slumped down in her seat as he fixed his crumpled uniform. He waited until he was sure she had calmed down. "It was the Federation. People like the ones at Starfleet had to go and sort out the troublesome Ullians that were forcing themselves into people's minds, manipulating their memories. Tell me, if that were still happening now, would you consider joining Starfleet?"

"You talk as if it still is happening, Admiral."

"No, it isn't," he said, sighing. "But things just as bad are happening. And it is true, we try not to get into or cause fights. But we could use someone like you, Mick; headstrong, impulsive…"

"You mean you want someone stupid enough to jump into a dangerous situation, and you want someone to create new weapons for you? No offence, but fuck you Sir."

Mick had had enough; it's all people ever wanted from her. Her mechanical knowledge and for her to be the person to put their life on the line. She was tired of being the one to have to take the blame, and no way in hell was she doing it for someone like Starfleet. She drained the last few sips of her drink, pushed her chair away from the table and started to walk towards the door.

"Just think about it Mick. You say you want people to stop thinking of you as telepathic predators?"

Mick turned around to see the Admiral on his feet, his face imploring. _He must really need me_, she thought.

"You can help to stop that kind of prejudice. By joining Starfleet. We need you, Mick."

Her brow creased and she dropped her gaze to the floor. The Admiral had never felt this nervous; he wasn't joking when he said they needed someone like her. Her… engineering abilities were something that most Starfleet officers could only dream of. Not to mention, Admiral Pike had a knack of picking up the strays, the troubled kids and the bar-brawlers. He hoped she would accept his offer.

"I'll think about it Admiral."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow! I don't think i've ever gotten such a quick interest in a story, so thanks to the following: silverbluerose, itsnotaboutlove, irawrmochi, i-dun-did-it, The Swifstar, Skipping On Shadows, Paper Grenade, K'Ink21, Dukbokki, Dreamwalker18, CrystalTablets for following and to irawrimochi for the review! Here's the next chapter; it's a bit shorter but it's mainly filler, just showing how Mick, Jim and Bones met :) Please tell me what you think and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own Star Trek... wait what? Oh, no I don't. Sadly.**

******Summary: Jim Kirk wasn't the only one to be personally recruited by Admiral Pike**

* * *

******2**

"I cannot believe I got talked into this," she grumbled under her breath.

Mick looked around the streets of San Francisco as she rode up to the tall, chrome building. Large congregations of red coats were standing around the campus as she neared, some throwing her a mixture of confused, anxious, murderous and humorous looks. There were a few she recognised and a lot she didn't; Mick wasn't a people person. Hell she wasn't a person in a few people's eyes. Just an angry telepath. She knew what they were thinking about her (literally).

"Hey, hey Miss!" a guard shouted, his hand up to tell her to stop. Other pedestrians walked by and gave the two weird looks, wondering why a rider had been stopped. Sitting up slightly Mick flicked up her visor. "Is there a problem Sir?"

"Yes, you cannot enter with the vehicle any further. No vehicles are allowed at the Academy."

"Wait, what?"

Mick quickly took off her helmet so that the guard could see the confusion and anger on her face. She placed the helmet on top of the bike as she swung her leg over and walked straight up to him. "What do you mean, 'no vehicles are allowed at the academy'? There's no way in hell that I'm getting rid of this damn bike, do you know how long it took me to patch her up?!" she yelled. The two were now gathering a small crowd, all anticipating a fight to break out between the mysterious newbie and the guard.

"Now, see here Miss-"

"Ah, Miss Lockwood."

Mick closed her eyes and tried to breathe in deeply in an attempt to calm down. Opening her eyes, she saw an amused Captain Pike looking between her and the guard. "Yes, Admiral?" she said through gritted teeth. She hated her last name – reminded her too much of her lousy mother, as it was her maiden name – and anyone that used it. Pike seemed to pick up on her anger towards her last name and opted for the safer use of her first name.

"Mick, it's good to see you accepted my offer. Jones, you are dismissed," he said, turning to the guard. He seemed to not want to leave the Admiral alone with such a temperamental person like Mick, but the Admiral's slight glare told him to back off. Jones nodded and walked off, shooing away the small audience.

"Yeah, well, what else was I supposed to do? Sit around all day in my garage, waiting till someone like you turned up and asked me to build them a weapon? No thanks. Besides," she said grinning, catching Jones' retreating form, "it's… fun here. Better than I thought it would be."

Pike chuckled. The girl reminded him a lot of himself, and a lot of Jim Kirk he realised. He hoped those two would stay out of each other's way, or god knows what those two could accomplish. "Well, either way, I am glad you decided to enlist. Like I told you, Starfleet could use someone like you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Even someone with 'a vehicle'?" she asked, mimicking Jones. Pike grinned and motioned for her to follow him. "Yes, even with a vehicle. Though it will of course have to be parked along with Starfleet's other vehicles and mechanics."

Grinning, Mick jogged back to her bike and began to push it forwards to follow the Admiral. Perhaps Starfleet wouldn't be so bad, she mused.

Pike had left her on her way to the Academy's garage, leaving her with her own PADD so that she would be able to find her way to her dorm building. She had almost reached the door when she heard someone shout, "Need some help?"

She turned around as a blond haired guy ran up and stopped in front of her. She felt his eyes rake her body up and down and shifted, slightly uncomfortable. He noticed and stopped, clearing his throat.

"Uh, yeah I do. Do you know how to open the door to the garage?" she asked. Her voice was emotionless, something she'd picked up when she was younger and a lot more… rebellious. Mick had gotten to know a far few strangers, and some she'd rather not know. It was better to act like you didn't care than to show your fear of meeting someone new. The man raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything at her cold demeanour. "Uh, yeah sure. You just type the password it; it's garage01."

"Well, that's gonna stump intruders, isn't it?"

He chuckled and Mick felt herself relax slightly. She didn't know why she felt ok with joking around with this guy, but something about him told her that he wasn't bad. She could've easily just reached into his mind to see, but she didn't like using her skills. She didn't want to be reminded of her heritage.

"Yeah, well, Starfleet may be one of the greatest academies in the Federation, but unfortunately it isn't the smartest."

Mick couldn't help but let herself grin. The guy typed in the password and they watched as the metal door rose and opened to expose a large, rectangular room. It was filled with the smaller versions of the ships, some transporters and a few bikes as well. Evidently some of the other students (or teachers) liked to ride bikes too. Wheeling the bike inside, she propped it up behind another bike in one of the parking booths. She ran a hand down one length of the bike, her heart clenching at the thought that she might not ride it for a while.

"Nice bike, where'd you get it?"

Mick had almost forgotten about the man that was behind her, now eyeing her bike. She smiled at the gleam in his eyes; evidently, he liked bikes too.

"I didn't buy it. I made it, out of a few broken parts, and some I had to make myself. Took me almost eleven months to get her fully up and running," she said, smiling at the memories that flashed through her mind.

"Whoa," he said, his surprise and appreciation etched on his face. He walked up to Mick and stood beside her, one hand on the bike. "I had a bike too – left it back in Iowa when I came here – and I fixed her up too. Well, replaced the chain, changed the oil, got some new mud flaps. Nothing like this though," he said, kneeling so as to have a look at the engine.

"Yeah, well she's my pride and joy. She's pretty much the only thing to my name, and I'd like to keep it that way."

The man straightened up, brushing the dust from his jeans. He extended his hand out to Mick. "Jim Kirk."

She grabbed it and shook it. "Mickey Lockwood."

"Ah," Jim said, smiling. He dropped her hand and placed his own in his pockets. "So you're the fighter."

"Excuse me?" Mick asked, confused. Jim chuckled and shook his head at her confusion. It made her look younger, he thought. Made her look cute. "The fighter. Turns out we have a few, friends, in common. And nicknames. I think you know Cupcake?"

Mick's brow creased, something she did regularly. "Wait, you know Cupcake? You call him Cupcake too?"

"Well, yeah!" he said, his voice breaking. Mick giggled and he smiled. "He looks like a damn cupcake in that red coat of his! Not to mention-"

"He probably eats like a _ton_ of cupcakes," Mick said, laughing. Jim joined her and Mick found herself actually enjoying his company.

"Jim!"

Mick turned around at the other voice that was coming closer to the open door of the garage. She recognised a slight Southern accent in the voice and she was correct, when the voice was heard again.

"I'm in here Bones!" Jim shouted back at the voice. The slap of feet on the gravel and a loud sigh came from just a few meters away.

"What the hell you do- Oh, hi."

Mick felt her face heat up at the man's surprised expression. He stood just slightly shorter than Jim, with short dark hair and expressive, dark eyes. His face showed age and wisdom, though Mick was sure that he wasn't much older than she was. That, and the fact that it seemed Jim had caught her staring at his friend, was what made her blush.

"Bones, this is Mickey Lockwood. Mick, this is Leonard McCoy, or Bones as I call him," Jim smirked. Bones extended a hesitant hand but it seemed his Southern side won out his nervous side. "Pleasure," he said. Mick bit her lip and extended her own hand. "Likewise," she said, sending Bones a small smile.

"Mick was showing me her bike. If I'd known we were allowed to keep them, I'd have brought my own," Jim said, looking wistfully at the red bike.

"Yeah well, that's a good thing. Bikes are dangerous things, the main contributor to cadavers," Bones said. Mick would've laughed if it wasn't for his serious face, though his eyes were bulging slightly. She giggled quietly, something Bones picked up on. "You think car crashes are funny?"

"No," she said, surprised at the confident sound of her voice. "I just think that it's funny that someone who's obviously never ridden a bike finds them so terrifying. The people that die in crashes are mostly idiots; the others are just hit by idiots."

A silence followed Mick's words. "I like this one," Jim said, pointing a finger at Mick. She turned and gave him a small wink, laughing when he returned it.

"Oh god, I'm surrounded by kids," Bones said, running a hand down his face. Jim clapped him on the back, leading him out of the garage. "Don't worry Bones, I'm sure Mick'll straighten me out," he said, sending the girl behind him a small wave. Mick waved back, wondering how she had ever been against coming to Starfleet in the first place.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Once again, thanks for the amazing reception i've gotten from this story! Thanks to 4evErG0dzillandAslan, BaDWolF89, Dear Reader-We're book addicts, RockingHorseFly, eternalwings15, Friggatriskaidekaphobia, Jes Freedark, TheAlphaWrites, vnienhuis and peaches2010! Again this chapter just a bit of filler/fluff between Mick and Bones and it's also one of the last chapter before we pick up with the film. Please review and tell me what you think! **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Star Trek, do you really think that I would be here writing this? Also Chekov would have a much larger part in the films ;D**

**Summary: Jim Kirk wasn't the only one to be recruited by Admiral Pike**

* * *

**3**

"Oh my god," she grumbled, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

Mick had never dreamed of the day when she would look into the mirror and see herself in a Starfleet issued _red coat uniform._ The red contrasted horribly with her pale skin and her dark hair. She had gotten rid of the blonde highlights and had cut her hair so that it just reached past her shoulders. Maybe a new look was a good thing… but just not _red._

It was her first proper day at Starfleet, and Mick was terrified. If John was here, she would tell him that she was shitting bricks, and he'd first reprimand her for her language, and then say that she would be fine. Starfleet was safer than the streets, he would say. Admiral Pike would look out for her, and so would Jim. Mick hadn't seen him since the garage, but already word was going round about him, especially through the girls. All the other girls up and down her dorm corridor could be seen in packs, eyes darting about, waiting to catch a glimpse of the 'boy born in space'. She had scoffed when she heard one of them say he was 'godly', at which she had gotten some weird looks.

It wasn't like she didn't like Jim; she did, but he reminded her too much of herself in a way. Impulsive, outgoing, fearless. _More like stupid,_ she thought to herself. His friend, however…

"Whoa there," a voice said.

_Speak of the devil and he shall appear_. Mick looked up from the chest she had crashed into and found herself face to face with Bones. She had been walking down to the cafeteria and she must've been day dreaming.

"Shit, sorry, are you ok?" she asked, taking a step back. She thought she saw Bones hesitate for a second, but then it disappeared. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Nah, I'm ok. Are you? Maybe you shouldn't think so much," he said, looking down at her. Mick looked back at him in confusion. "_I shouldn't think so much?_ Are you saying I'm _dumb?_" she asked, her eyes hardening.

Bones looked like he was on death row. His face had paled and he was stumbling over his words. He sighed and muttered something, Mick only caught the words, "dammnit" and "women". She raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to talk.

"I-I just mean that, you seemed a little, out of it, and you know, that may have been why you bumped into me. I'm sorry if I offended you," he said, his accent becoming stronger as his Southern manners shone through his tough exterior.

Finally Mick smiled and started laughing, causing Bones to look at her confused. Why was she laughing at him? Did he have something on his face? If Jim had done anything to his hair in the night, he was going to kill that boy.

"Oh god, you should've seen your face, Bones! Priceless!" Mick pretended to wipe a tear from her eye, clutching her stomach to stop herself from laughing anymore.

"Wait, what…?"

"I was kidding, Bones! Jeez, man, learn how to take a joke!" she said, punching him lightly on the arm. Sighing and rubbing his arm, he walked alongside her to the cafeteria.

"Yeah, well, what can I say? I've had no time for jokes recently," he grumbled, grabbing a tray of food and walking off to find a table. Mick huffed; this guy was no fun, at all. She's met men three times his age in all sorts of bars who had a better sense of humour than him. Grabbing her own tray, she followed him ad sat opposite him at an empty table.

"Why does Jim call you Bones?" she asked suddenly. Though she had adopted the nickname too, she didn't understand the meaning behind it. "Are you a doctor?"

Mick swore she saw his eyes shine when she said that. "Good guess, yes I am, but that's not the reason."

Mick just stared at him, waiting for him to continue. He glanced down at her untouched tray of food and waited until she sighed, picked up an apple, and bit into it. "Happy?"

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away," he said, smirking. Wait, he was smirking at Mick? If she was surprised at his sudden humour, she didn't show it. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, Doc. And stop changing the subject."

Bones sighed. "Me and Jim actually met just yesterday, on the shuttle ride here. I was... a bit unwilling to sit down. Shuttles are dangerous things, _just like motorbikes_," he sent her a pointed look. "He told me that Starfleet operates in space, and if I didn't like space then why was I joining? I told him that basically, Starfleet is all I have left. My ex-wife took everything in the divorce, and all I have left are my bones," he said, taking out a small flask from his pocket. He saw Mick eyeing the flask. "Little early to be drinking, isn't it Doc?" she asked, sending him a wink. He shrugged; he didn't know why he seemed so calm talking about his divorce. Mick hadn't even commented on it. She was like a breath of fresh air, something maybe he needed. She motioned for him to pass over the flask. Passing it over, he narrowed his eyes at her. Until, that is, she uncorked the top and took a deep gulp from it.

"Ah, you're a bourbon man, eh Bones?"

He looked at her, surprised. "What? You think that just because I'm a girl that I don't know a thing or two about drinking? Please, where I'm from, I'm the drinking champion," she said, passing back the flask. "Though I'm a whiskey girl, myself."

"Where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?"

Mick shrugged. "Personally, I have no idea. I grew up in the streets of Chicago. My mum abandoned me out there when I was about seven. Sent me to some orphanage or care home or something. I ran away when I was twelve; I had a friend who worked in a garage. Taught me everything I ever needed to know about mechanics, life and drinking."

Bones felt his eyes bug out of his sockets, but when he noticed Mick shifting uncomfortably in her seat, he tried to compose himself. He recognised the way she held herself, like it didn't matter to her. It was something that he had adopted since his divorce. "What about your dad? Surely he could have done something?"

"Nope," she said, shaking her head. She leaned back casually in her seat, as though they were just discussing the weather. "Never met him; apparently he was killed around the time I was born."

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok. It's not like I miss him, after all I never knew him, what's not to miss? I just wish, that I had known him. Maybe things would have been different, maybe not. "

He didn't know why he did, but Bones found himself placing a hand on Mick's hand that was on the table. He gripped it firmly. "Still, growing up without a proper parent, it's not a good thing for a kid. But you managed it, and I admire you for it."

"Am I interrupting something?"

Mick looked up to see Jim standing behind her, smirking at the two. Bones retracted his hand hastily and cleared his throat. Mick pulled her hand back and placed it in her lap. "About time you showed up Jim, I was wondering whether you would ever wake up," Bones said.

"Yeah, well…" Jim said, shrugging his shoulders. He sent a wink at Mick, who realised that her cheeks were burning. Was she blushing? Because she'd been caught being comforted by Bones? She shook the thought off as Jim fell into the seat next to her. "Where have _you_ been, Jim?" she asked. "Cornered by a bunch of fangirls, have we?"

Now it was Jim's turn to blush, his face now the same shade as the lipstick mark that was peeking out from under his collar.

"What were you guys talking about, Mick? _Bones?_"

Bones grumbled whilst Mick just winked at Jim. "Why? Jealous because I prefer Bones to you?"

Bones choked and started coughing wildly as Jim laughed at his friend's reaction.

"Ugh, you two are going to be the death of me," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. Mick felt her fingertips tingle with anticipation. It was like some part of her _desperately _wanted to run her own hands through his hair, though why she didn't know.

"You know you love us," Jim said as Bones got up. He shot Jim an exasperated look and nodded at Mick. She sent him a small smile, which he returned. She knew that he knew that she was thanking him for earlier. She watched as he walked off and turned to find Jim looking at her with a strange expression. "What?"

He chuckled, shaking his head and saying, "Nothing."

"Whatever," she said, getting up too. She looked down at her PADD and noticed that she had just a few minutes before her first class. "Shit, I'm going to be late! See ya Jim!" she shouted, running from her seat and sending a quick goodbye to her friend, who was watching her and laughing at her, muttering something under his breath. "Women," he whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Holy shit! ALSALKJDFKBVJGF i never thought i'd get such a good response from this story! Sorry for not updating for a couple weeks, school's back on, exams and stuff blah blah blah. I don't particularly like this chapter (as you can probably see) and it took me a while to get it to a point where it didn't overly suck. To Julie, theHAWKSprotege, Guest, Slightly Crazy Author, darkhuntress621 and wolfs rain lover123, thanks for your reviews! Especially theHAWKSprotege, i was having a bad day, and your review just made it soooo much better :) Hope you enjoy this chapter, and tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. What else is new?**

******Summary: Jim Kirk wasn't the only one to be personally recruited by Admiral Pike**

* * *

**4**

"You are an absolute idiot, you know that right?"

Mick looked at her friend and wondered how he hadn't been kicked out of Starfleet yet. Even after three years, she still couldn't believe that she was friends with Jim.

"Don't get me wrong; I love you and everything, but you're possibly the biggest idiot in the history of idiots. I bet if I looked up "idiot" in the dictionary, there would be a picture of you in there, with the words, 'Idiot: someone who acts like they have mush for brains. For example, James Tiberius Kirk'."

Jim turned and made a face at Mick. "Relax, ok? It's going to work. Your program is fool-proof."

"Exactly," she said, rolling her eyes. "You're a fool for using it!"

Jim waved away her concern and turned back to the monitor. The two were hidden away in a computer room situated in one of Starfleet's most protected corridors. It wasn't a big coincidence that that room also looked into the Kobayashi Maru test room – something Mick had noticed the moment that Jim had dragged her away with his hand over her mouth after her advanced physics class.

"Jim. Jim. Jim. JIM!"

He huffed and turned in his chair. He put his hand up, silencing whatever she was about to say to him. "Look, I know this is risky. Dangerous, even. But I have to do this, Mick; I have to pass this test. Otherwise, all my hard work to try and become an officer in three years will be for nothing. I have to Mick, I just have to…" he trailed off, looking wistfully back at the screen.

Mick sighed. "I get it Jim, ok? I get that you have to do this, to show that you're just like your dad or something," Jim bristled at her bluntness. He'd confessed to her just the past year that the main reason that he'd agreed to Pike's suggestion to enlist (something else they had in common, they found out) was that he had wanted to make his dad proud. "But this is not the way to do it. Cheating? You'll get caught, and kicked out of Starfleet, and then no one will take you on. I know what it's like to want to prove yourself, Jim, but this isn't the way."

He huffed and turned back to the screen. Mick sighed, realising she wasn't going to get through to him. The only way to grab his attention now would be to flash him… she repressed a shudder. No. No effing way. Sure, once upon a time, she thought that Jim was cute. Hell, all the girls had at some point. But she saw him more as a brother, a comrade. His best friend however…

Mick still had a slight crush on Bones, even after three years of NOTHING. Nada. Zilch. No sign from the dramatic doctor that he had any sort of non-sibling feelings. Sure, Jim assured her time and time again that, "the guy is just shy, Mick. He still sees love as some sort of curse after his damn divorce."

So yeah. No flashing. She would have to just face the facts that Jim was determined to _cheat _his way through the Kobayashi Maru test. But hey; if he managed to pass without getting caught, it not only assured them that they were master pranksters, but that she may also have a slight hand in technical engineering. Mick loved her spot in Engineering; she was just about to graduate anyway, with flying colours. But anything that could give her a leg up and get her onto a good ship within the next year, she would gladly take it.

"Mick. MICK! Jeez, man, don't think so much."

The girl punched Jim hard on the arm, laughing as he squealed and cradled his arm. Yep, she was going to graduate her combat class too.

"Man, now I'm glad I'm not Bones, I wouldn't want to cross you in a domestic…"

"Shut the hell up Jim and tell me what the fuck's wrong with you, apart from the obvious mental issues."

Jim pulled a face at her and chuckled. "Whatever, you know you love it. Anyway, as I was saying _before you spaced out, thinking about your boyfriend_, ow man stop hitting me! Ok, calm down! As I was saying, I think you're program worked. I think it's installed, and ready for me to kick ass!"

"And if not, well, you'd better be prepared to get _your_ ass kicked, Jim boy."

Exiting Advanced Physics, Mick fidgeted in her uniform. Since day one, those three years ago, she'd absolutely hated those red, itchy uniforms. She hated bright colours, and had always laughed at and picked on the 'Red Coats' that had turned up sometimes in Chicago. Plus, she was always worrying whether her already short skirt had ridden up and she was accidentally flashing at someone. Now that'd be an interesting story to tell…

"I keep telling you to stop thinking so hard, kid," said a Southern voice. Mick involuntarily grinned; she couldn't help it, Bones had that kind of effect on her. She couldn't place when, or even why, but she knew that she had definitely changed since meeting him. Maybe because he was so damn grumpy all the time.

"Shut up, Doc," she said, swinging an arm around his shoulders. "You forget, because of my _high intellectual knowledge and incredible intelligence,_ I effectively could outrank you," she said, sending one of her trade-mark smirks towards Bones. She swore she could have seen his eyes change colour slightly, but put it down to the sun. A hearty chuckle sounded from his chest and he wrapped an arm around her waist, and she had to refrain from doing something inappropriate in public.

"You know, quoting Professor Jones' _one time positive _evaluation of your work really doesn't mean anything anymore."

Mick scowled, something that was subtly mirrored by Bones, but only noticed by their ever interrupting friend. Jim sauntered over to the two and noticed Mick's arm around Bones, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively when Mick had her head turned away from him.

"Shut up, dipshit."

"You know Jim; at least Mick has something to be proud of. A positive comment from Jones is hard to come by, and anyway, when have you ever gotten something positive from a teacher?" Bones asked, unconsciously tightening his arm around Mick's waist possessively. Something that wasn't unnoticed by Jim. He really had to do something about his friends; you could cut the sexual tension with a fucking chainsaw!

Instead of being annoyed by Bones' comment, like he should have been, Jim just smiled and walked towards the doors of the building, out onto the steps. Bones looked down at Mick, a confused expression on his face. But, when noticing her sheepish grin, he let out an exasperated sigh, knowing that something was up and let go of Mick and followed after his other friend.

"Why are you so happy?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jim easily lied. Mick hit her forehead with her palm and quickly caught up with the two, bounding down the stairs before them.

"No, I don't suppose you do." Bones shook his head when he noticed Jim checking out some girls that were passing him. Honestly, that kid had to stop thinking about his libido and start thinking of more important things.

"I'm taking the test again."

Mick scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest whilst Bones, shocked, said, "You've got to be kidding!"

"Yeah, tomorrow morning, and I want you there."

This was something that Jim had neglected to say before. Mick fell into step beside Jim, looking up at him angrily. "You want Bones there but not me? You do realise that if I'm not there, they're gonna immediately jump to conclusions when the pro-"

Jim hastily slapped a hand over the girl's mouth, effectively shutting her up. He didn't need Bones, already frustrated at Jim's stubbornness at repeating the test, getting even angrier at him. Persistence Bones could deal with, but cheating? No way, he would never willingly admit to Bones that he cheated, for fear of his life. One of Jim's mantras was, "Don't mess with someone who either knows where you live or where you sleep." And Bones knew both.

Bones didn't pick up on it though. He was shaking his head and looking around the campus, a crazed look in his eye. "You know, I've got better things to do than watch you embarrass yourself for a third time. I'm a doctor, Jim. I'm busy."

"He's right Jim. I mean, why, would anyone willingly go to so many lengths to help you pass is beyond me," Mick said sarcastically, sending Jim a 'look'. A look that said, "you so owe me for handing my ass to the board of directors on a fucking silver platter and when they catch you I'm going to kill you."

"Guys, come on! Doesn't it bother you than no one's ever passed the test?" Jim said, trying desperately to salvage whatever respect his friends had for him. Though Mick had to (silently) agree with his statement, Bones did not.

"Jim, it's the Kobayashi Maru. No one passes the test. And no one goes back for seconds, let alone thirds!"

Jim patted Bones' shoulder condescendingly, mildly hurt at his friend's non-existent belief in him.

"I gotta study," he said, leaving the two once again. Mick looked at Bones and he her, and they knew they were both thinking the same thing.

"Study my ass."

Bones looked around the simulation room as the screens blacked out and then suddenly came back to life. He noticed Jim smirking in his Captain seat, biting his apple. He looked back at his screen, surprise filling him when he noticed very big differences with the simulation from before the blackout. And suddenly it hit him; why Jim had been acting weird the past week, whereas Mick had been acting edgy and agitated. Suddenly he knew exactly what was going on.

"I'm going to _kill_ that girl…" he growled.

Mick felt a sharp pull on the sleeve of her uniform before she was tugged into a small alcove.

"What fuckery _destroyed your common sense_ and made you help Jim cheat in the Kobayashi Maru?" Bones seethed. If she wasn't scared as hell, she would've felt a flush grace her face, but his bloodshot eyes and locked jaw told her this was business, not pleasure.

"How in the world did you manage to hack into the system and make sure that the shields would be down?"

Mick felt a pang in her heart when she heard the disbelief in his voice. "Do you really underestimate my abilities, _McCoy?_" she growled back at him. Their faces were now very close, Bones' hand holding the front of her uniform to keep her in place. If anyone were to find them, they would be found in an incredibly compromising position.

"No, I don't. And that's why I know that _you're_ the one who helped Jim. You and him may both be mischievous and spawns of the devil, but he doesn't have a technological bone in his body."

Mick angrily pushed him away. "So what?! So what if I helped him, Bones? He would have found a way to get through it! I did it _to help a friend in need_, unlike _you_! Would you like it if you were pushed into an alcove, bullied into telling you a secret and then insulted? Do you realise the stress I have been in this past week? I know the risks, Bones, and yet I still went through with it," she said through gritted teeth, glaring at him. She saw him visibly relax slightly at her confession.

"So yeah, I helped Jim cheat. But he needed this, the albeit annoying ego-boost, and I would do it a hundred times over so that I wouldn't have to look at his disappointed face every-day when he gets reminded of how good his father was."

Mick decided she couldn't take anymore of Bones' staring at her. His eyes were filled with a mixture of anger, frustration, _awe_, and her oh so amazing best friend, pity. She could feel herself melting under his gaze, so swiftly exited the alcove and ran down the corridor, before rounding the corner and slapping into something hard.

"Hey, watch – Mick?"

She felt Jim circle his arms around her waist and pull her into a hug. She finally felt herself breaking down from her fight with Bones. Her first ever proper fight with Bones.

"Ssh, calm down, it's gonna be ok."

"You ok?" Jim asked when she finally calmed down.

Mick sniffed. She finally realised how bad this must look to Jim; Mick, the one who everyone thought was tough and rock hard, crying into his shoulder. She hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks and straightened her hair and uniform. She noticed Jim watching her carefully from the corner of her eye. "What?"

"When this is over, we're going to have a talk," he said cryptically. Scrunching up her brow in confusion, she followed after him to the auditorium, where they noticed the whole student body was going. A meeting had been called, before Bones had forced her into that alcove. _Now, if it had been for anything else, I wouldn't have minded…_

"James T Kirk, step forward."

_Oh shit. Oh shit, shit, shit!_

Mick tensed in her seat beside Jim, now leaving her with a silently fuming Bones. He walked confidently to the podium, not giving anything away. _That's my boy_

"Cadet Kirk, evidence had been submitted to this council suggesting that you violated the ethical code of conduct pursuant to Regulation 17.43 of the Starfleet Code. Is there anything you care to say before we begin, sir?"

Mick groaned and slumped in her seat as she heard Jim ask to know who his accuser was and Commander Spock stood. Trust it to be the pointy-eared egg head of Starfleet. And the recent programmer of the Kobayashi Maru test.

"Cadet Kirk, you somehow managed to install and activate a subroutine in the programming code, thereby changing the conditions of the test."

"No fucking way am I letting him do this," she muttered, getting ready to stand and let the councillors know that she was the one who installed and activated the subroutine. A firm hand gripped her arm, as if knowing what she was about to do. She turned her head and noticed that Bones had now taken Jim's seat beside her, and was looking at her intensely. "Don't. Even. Think. About. It."

"I am _not_ going to let him take the fall for this!"

"And what do you think Jim would say?" Bones asked, looking into her eyes. Mick couldn't help it; all thoughts of getting up left her.

"If you get up, then you're not only incriminating yourself, but Jim as well, because you lied. _Don't look at me like that_. I know what you're thinking, but Jim can handle these guys; they know him, and they know what he can do. He'll scrape by. But Starfleet need you. We all do," Bones muttered the last part, causing Mick to strain her ears to catch it. But their conversation was interrupted.

"We've received a distress call from Vulcan."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Yeeeeeeaaaaaahhh buuuuddddiiieee next day update! woo hoo! again, i'm not so sure about this chapter, but i think by the end you guys'll like it ;D**

**Dalonega Noquisi: thanks, hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**theHAWKSprotege: maaaaaany thanks for your awesome review!**

**jasminekremmer: ********i got your review when i was in school, and i almost got caught with my phone out because i was laughing so much. I LOVED YOUR REVIEW! hahaha, don't worry, sexy times with Bones is coming soon ;D ikr there are hardly any good stories with BonesXOC, so i hope i do him justice and satisfy your cravings. and just cause you asked so nicely, here's another update. DUDE WE NEED TO TALK AND FANGIRL OVER BONES SOME TIME**

**Disclaimer: believe me, if i owned Star Trek, all the men would be shirtless. Come on, shirtless Chris Pine!**

**Summary: Jim Kirk wasn't the only one to be personally recruited by Admiral Pike**

* * *

**5**

"I hereby order all Cadets to report to Hangar One immediately. Dismissed."

Mick ran down alongside Bones to stand by Jim, who was looking murderously at Commander Spock. The Vulcan was notoriously known for being, well… disliked was the only _appropriate_ word for it. He also, unfortunately, helped out in Mick's Advanced Physics class, and therefore knew her, or at least a bit. _So why didn't he incriminate me as well?_

"Who was that pointy eared-bastard?"

"I don't know," Bones shrugged. "But I like him." Mick couldn't help but snort at his comment, and then regretted it, as it caused him to turn and look at her. A similar look like the one he had given her earlier flashed through his eyes, and Mick looked away. Jim didn't notice a thing, his eyes trailing after Spock.

"Come on," he grumbled, leading the way to Hangar One.

The groups of Cadets eagerly lined up to listen to which ship they'd been assigned to. As they were walking to their group, Mick felt another tug on her sleeve, though this time it was not who she was expecting it to be. Pike raised his eyebrows as she opened her mouth to shout profanities at whoever was dragging her away from her friends, but decided against it. She didn't think the Admiral would find anything funny right now. Jim and Bones looked back at her with confused faces, but she waved them off. She desperately hoped that they would be placed on the same ship, but with her and Jim's track record (his current one particularly) she highly doubted it.

"Yes sir?" she asked, once Pike had dragged her away from the prying eyes of the cadets. He looked down at her, his lips pressed down in a firm line.

"You have something to tell me, Ensign? Or must I also create a non-winnable program for you to crack?"

Busted.

"I-I-I, uh…" Mick spluttered. She thought she'd get caught, sure, but by Pike? Why not Spock?

"If you're wondering why I am here, reprimanding you and not Commander Spock, it is because I told him to keep quiet about it so that I may be the one to ask you."

Mick felt herself shrink under the steely gaze of the Admiral.

"Ask me what, sir?"

"How in the world you, a mechanical engineer, managed to hack into a Vulcan-made program?" he asked, his stern face falling and a look of surprise (and dare she say it, awe) replaced it. If it weren't for the seriousness of their situation, Mick would've laughed in his face. She felt her confidence come back and smirked at the Admiral. "Do you doubt my abilities sir?"

Her fight with Bones flashed into her mind, of her saying those exact words to that same question, but to a different person. And she found herself preferring this conversation to the last.

"Not anymore, _Lieutenant_," he said, sending a small wink at her surprised face. "Now get your ass on board the Enterprise. You're on my team, and there will be no slacking, got that?"

Too shocked to answer, Mick just nodded her head vehemently. She hadn't even been on a ship before, let alone be a senior member of Engineering! Pike chuckled, finding the usually chatty girl's silence to be something funny, and led the way to the hangar bay.

"Ensign Lockwood –"

"That's Lieutenant to you," Mick said, throwing her chin in the air and puffing out her chest comically. The Commander by their shuttle chuckled slightly, looking down at his board. "Yes, my mistake. Good luck, Lieutenant."

_I'm gonna need it_, Mick thought, taking in a deep breath to calm her nerves. She looked around for Jim or Bones, but found no sign of them. She did, however, catch sight of a smug looking Uhura and made her way to seat by her.

"Hey Uhura"

"Hey Lockwood"

"It's Lieutenant, actually," the Commander from the door said as he passed them to the cockpit. Mick shot him a glare but found Uhura grinning at her. They had bonded over Jim's idiocy the previous year.

"Congratulations," Uhura said, bumping her shoulder against Mick's. Though she was fluent in almost every language known to man, Uhura wasn't very vocal; which was a great change from Jim, and something Mick liked. It meant that you knew when she was being sincere, like now. Mick mumbled her thanks, feeling bashful.

"Guess what? You're stuck in red again"

Mick groaned and slumped in her seat, causing Uhura to erupt into giggles. She suddenly stopped and Mick looked up, following her line of gaze. "Oh my god," she breathed.

It was beautiful; the Enterprise was the mother of all ships, Mick thought. Her hands were just itching to have a look at her work, the mechanic in her going absolutely nuts. Her team was probably going to hate how hyper she was going to be, but she didn't care; she had just been made a Lieutenant and senior Engineering member of one of Starfleet's newest ships. Fuck yes!

Mick quickly said goodbye to Uhura and pushed her way through the crowd. Everyone was scrambling to their posts. Turning her head, she swore she saw Bones carrying Jim off to the medical bay; she let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding when she saw her friends. At least she knew that they were on the same ship.

"Lieutenant Lockwood!"

A short man waltzed up to Mick. He was dressed in a red suit and radiated arrogance. Mick immediately frowned; this did not look good. "Yes sir?"

"I'm Commander Matthews, chief of Engineering. You are to report to me on Level 8 and are to relay engine reports back to the Bridge, got that?"

Matthews walked off without waiting for her answer. Scowling, Mick went to collect and change into her stupid red uniform. Whilst walking out of the changing booth, tugging and pulling at the red material, she accidentally walked into something. Or someone.

"Crap, I'm sorry!"

"It is not a problem," the voice said. Or at least that's what she thought they said. They had a heavy accent, possibly Russian. The boy looked young, and was dressed in yellow; command.

"Pavel Chekov," he said, extending his hand. Mick was slightly taken aback by his forwardness, but shook his hand. "Mickey Lockwood. Hey, are you that Russian whizkid that everyone keeps on talking about?"

Her heart burst for the kid as he blushed. How old was he exactly? She asked him this, and was surprised to hear that he was only seventeen. Seventeen! Six years younger than herself!

"Where are you stationed?"

"I am part of Command on the bridge," Chekov said. Mick felt her jaw drop to the ground. And she thought that she had done well in becoming a Lieutenant in three years. "Do you know who the Science Officer is on the Bridge?"

"I believe that Commander Spock is," he replied. Mick cursed under her breath. Just her luck; she got the pointy-eared bastard. "Why?"

"Just that I have to relay all engine reports to him," she grumbled. Chekov laughed at her irritated expression. "Do you not like him?"

"Nope," she said, popping the 'p'. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "And I have the biggest ass in the world as Chief. Which reminds me, he's gonna roast me if I'm not there to report to him. See you later, Whizkid!" she called, running away from Chekov and down towards the Engineering levels.

Walking out of the lift was like walking into a sweet store, Mick thought. For her at least. The Engineering team were walking around, checking that the engines were ready to go and checking that the reactor was stable. She noticed a Commander with a PADD, ticking off people's names. "Lieutenant Lockwood reporting for duty, sir!"

The man looked up and sneered at her cheery expression. Her face froze; oh damn, it was Cupcake.

"Well well, if it isn't little miss mind-reader," he taunted, his eyes probing her in her uniform. Mick felt a shiver run down her spine at the way his eyes seemed to undress her. If Jim or Bones were here, he'd be six feet below in a matchbox _Bones…_

"Johnson! Get back to work!" Matthews cried, walking up to the two. He absolutely despised Johnson; the guy was as thick as two planks, and he still somehow made it on board the Enterprise. Sure, he didn't particularly like the fact that Lockwood, a menace to her own track-record, was on board, but at least she was promising. Johnson promised to be a pain in the ass.

Matthews led Mick to a station, where a screen, a PADD and a communicator were waiting for her. "You are to log all reports your team send to you and send them up to the science officer on the Bridge. It ain't like your classrooms in here, kid, and it sure ain't gonna be easy. You're second in command now, and you got responsibilities. Do them or I'll kick your ass out into space."

Once again, Mick watched as Matthews walked away, feeling happy when he disappeared from her sight. She sat down at her station, pulled her communicator onto her wrist and put the speaker around her ear. "This is Lieutenant Lockwood, and I'll be your team leader for this evening," she smirked, hearing a few laughs from her speaker. "Everyone ready to get this show on the road?"

"Affirmative, Lieutenant."

"Good. All engines are ready to go. Good luck everyone, and let's kick some ass!"

"All decks, this is Captain Pike. Prepare for immediate departure."

Mick jiggled her leg up and down, the nerved finally getting to her. What if something went wrong? What if she calculated something wrong, or the engines failed? She would be blamed, and would get kicked off the ship.

If Jim were here, he would tell her to sit down, shut up and enjoy the ride. Bones would give her a lecture on all the things wrong with space and how they were all doomed anyway. She realised that, if they were on the ship, she would hardly see them. Bones would be up in medical, and Jim… well, he'd definitely not be here. Her fingers unconsciously typed along her keyboard and sent a call to medical, and before she could hang up, a peppy voice and a cheery face graced her screen. "Yes?"

"Uh, this is Lieutenant Lockwood. Is Dr McCoy there?"

"Yes, he's dealing with Mr Kirk at the moment. Do you want me to get him?"

"Oh, uh, no thanks. Um, never mind. Sorry for wasting your time. Thanks, bye," she said hurriedly, before cutting off on the confused nurse. Banging her head on the desk, she wondered if she'd ever have the guts to speak to either of her friends again. And then it hit her; why was Jim in the medical bay?

Before she could ponder that question, her screen was filled with the face of Chekov. He was probably broadcasting to the entire ship. Mick tuned out his broadcast, since it had nothing to do with whatever she was doing. In all honesty, being a Lieutenant and a senior officer was kind of boring; now she wished she was still an Ensign, running around like little puppies. At least they got to do something fun.

Mick heard the screams before she knew why they were screaming. Her body was flung from her seat as the hull of the Enterprise was bombarded by missiles, the upper decks taking a heavy toll. Heat poured into the engine room as they started to power down and crumble from the flames. Electrical wires sparked everywhere and Mick had to tear her communicator from her ear to stop herself from hearing the screams of her crew. Smoke filled her lungs and she felt herself begin to choke.

"Lieutenant Lockwood, report!"

She heard the cry from the communicator in her hand and stuffed in back into her ear. "Sorry Captain. Engine four is down, and five is failing. It appears that decks five through seven have been destroyed, along with up to half, maybe more, of the engineering crew," she coughed out to Pike. She scuttled away from the flames that were slowly creeping towards her and crawled on her belly towards her station. The screen was slightly cracked but still operational. She brought up security footage of the other engineering levels and had to force herself to stop gagging at the sight.

"Lieutenant, report on the rest of the crew?"

She cleared her throat as her eyes flickered over the screen. "I regret to inform you, Captain, that all of the senior officers are down, including the Chief, Commander Matthews."

Silence hung in the air as the communicator crackled. "Then, I am promoting you to Chief, Lockwood. Now, find the rest of your crew and then get your ass down to medical, you copy?"

"Yes Captain," she coughed. Pike ended the transmission as she started a new one. "This is Lieutenant Lockwood. All remaining members of the Engineering crew, report to level nine. Do you copy?"

Static filled her ears. Her eyes widened in fear; surely there were still a few people left? Her heart pounded in her ears as thoughts of running the ship herself filled her head.

"Copy."

"Copy that."

"Affirmative"

Letting out a sigh of relief, Mick continued to crawl towards the lift, pushing herself up from the floor and into the small compartment. Once the doors closed, she took a deep breath of clean air and coughed like there was no tomorrow. Her lungs were burning and something wet was stinging on her head. Lifting a hand carefully, she winced when she felt a hot liquid seep through her fingers. Bringing them back to her eyes, she felt herself grow steadily more nauseous as she saw blood. Bones was going to kill her when she went down to medical.

The lift doors opened and she spotted the rest of the engineering crew; they were a small bunch, talking quickly and worriedly amongst themselves. Around them, alarms blazed and screens flashed, but they waited patiently for her to arrive. They all seemed relatively unharmed; mainly shocked. They noticed her walking slowly towards them and each opened their mouths to ask questions, talking hurriedly over each other. Mick held up a hand to silence them.

"Ok, here's what's going to happen. We're outnumbered, we're being attacked, "as if to reinforce her point, they felt the ship teeter slightly to the right, signalling another hit somewhere. "The whole ship's falling apart, and it's up to us to make sure that we don't die out here in space. Now, if we all remain calm, and do exactly as I say, we're going to survive. Got that?"

The group nodded, waiting for her orders. Even with burning lungs and a bleeding head wound, Mick felt a flash of excitement as she stepped into her role as Chief. _Chief Lockwood, now that's got a nice ring to it._

"Ok, I want you five to man the stations on each level; keep your communicators on and make sure to update me and the Bridge on the engine reports. You three, I want you to stick with engines 1 and 2, if all else fails, we will divert all power to those and run on them. You four, I want you guys checking on defences; make sure there is no way in hell that those guys can shoot another goddamn missile at us, ok? And the rest of you, I want you guys checking on the engines. Make sure that these don't fail. Once we get to a more stable environment, we will assess the damages done to the levels and engines 4 and 5. If you see anyone who is injured, take them straight to medical. Keep your communicators on, and good luck," Mick felt an ominous feeling sink into her bones as she saw the young faces nod. There was a serious tone in the air as the Ensigns and the Cadets looked round, looking at the survivors. Everyone went their separate ways as Mick went back to the lift.

"Lieutenant Lockwood."

"Aye Captain," Mick said as Pike's voice once again filled her ears. "It's no longer Captain, Lieutenant. Before you say anything, just listen. The Romulan leader of the ship that attacked us, Nero, has demanded that I come aboard for negotiations –"

"But he'll kill you sir!"

"What did I say Lieutenant?"

"Sorry sir. Continue."

"Yes, well, it seems that they have lowered something in the Vulcan atmosphere that is jamming our transmissions back to Starfleet and our transporters, so I am taking a shuttle to their ship. On the way, I am lowering Mr Kirk, Mr Sulu and Engineer Olson into the Vulcan atmosphere to disable the device. I have therefore made Commander Spock Captain and named Mr Kirk as First Officer. I am also naming you third in command. You are to report to the Bridge after going to the medical bay and are to look after your team. Is that understood, Commander?"

Mick felt a tear escape from her eye as she swallowed the golf ball-sized lump in her throat. "Yes sir. Good luck."

"Shall I tell that to Mr Kirk as well?"

"Please sir"

"Very well. Good luck, Commander Lockwood."

Mick walked absentmindedly into the medical bay. It was filled with people from the damaged decks; though this particular medical bay seemed to be the only one in good condition. A nurse spotted her and led her toward a bed. "Sit down just a second and I'll send a doctor over."

The world was spinning when Mick heard what sounded like a buzz. Or maybe a voice; she couldn't tell. Her burning lungs and the loss of blood was slowly making it hard to focus.

"Mick?"

A blinding light shone in her eye and forced her to cringe away, an arm swatting away the light. "Get that damn light away from me," she slurred.

"Nice to see you haven't lost your sense of humour."

Mick rubbed her eyes and noticed that it was Bones who was shining the light in her eye. She immediately felt herself focus and looked him up and down, assessing the damage. He looked fine; no wounds at least. His face was covered in ash and he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

He lifted her arm around his shoulders and half dragged-half carried her to another door. "Come on, I'm taking you to my office."

Bones gently put her down on a chair, closing the door. He searched through multiple drawers until he came across a small medical kit. Taking out cotton swabs, antiseptic spray and dressings, he turned round to see Mick lolling against the back of the chair. "Whoa, Mick! Mick! Come on, Mick, stay awake!"

He kneeled before her, a hand knotted through her hair. He pushed the thought of how soft her hair was to the back of his head as he tried to shake her awake. She slowly opened her eyes and he smiled; he couldn't have her falling asleep, or she might not wake up, depending on how badly she had hit her head.

"Come on kid, stay awake," he muttered, as he gently wiped the blood from her head and cleaned the wound. He heard her grunt in protest.

"Stop calling me that," she slurred. He chuckled as he placed a dressing over her wound and continued to the cuts on her arms and hands. "What, kid? You don't like that?"

"No," she shook her head, wincing at the white dots behind her eyes. "It makes me seem like I'm younger than you."

"But you are," he said, wiping away the dirt from her hands. They were so small, compared to his own; but he found that they fit perfectly, hers placed on top of his.

"Nooo, you make it sound condescending," she muttered. She reminded him so much of a kid then, like his little Joanna. He smiled at her stubbornness. "And why don't you like that?"

"Cause, it sounds like I'm a kid, and you're like, my father," she said, coughing. Bones brought over a respirator to try and clear out her lungs. Whilst she breathed in and out, he asked, "And why is that so bad?"

"Cause I don't want you to be my father," she said, leaning her forehead tiredly against his shoulder. He ran a weak hand through her hair, feeling the tiredness wash over him as the adrenaline left his system. "And what do you want me to be?"

He looked down at her as she looked up at him; her hazel eyes peeked out from under her dark lashes, and he swore that his heart stopped.

"I want you to be mine," she whispered into his ear, causing shivers to run down his spine. Mick bit her lip, her eyes darkening. Bones felt his heart begin to pound and wound an arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him. "You know what?"

"What?" Mick asked, closing her eyes as he continued to stroke her hair. He leaned down, slowly, until they were face to face, their lips almost touching.

"I want the same thing."

Bones brushed his lips over Mick's, feeling a bolt of electricity surge through his veins and he smashed his lips against hers, feeling her do the same. It was like a volcano erupted somewhere inside him, causing him to kiss her as if his life depended on it. Perhaps it did; the ship was still stuck in limbo between failing and surviving. Their kisses turned fierce and urgent, his tongue streaking across her bottom lip, begging for entry. She granted it and soon they were at war for dominance, which Bones won; though Mick seemed to be regaining some form of consciousness the more they kissed. The room began to swelter as the couple panted, hands roaming everywhere. Bones' hands wandered down to her waist, Mick's hands knotting themselves in his short hair, tugging on the strands on the base of his neck.

Bones kissed down her jaw, leaving a trail of burning kisses. He felt a low moan run through her throat and grinned to himself, committing the sound to memory.

"Bones?"

"Mm?" he muttered, kissing back up to place tender kisses on Mick's swollen lips. Her heavily lidded eyes gazed at him like a child gazing at something in wonder.

"I think I love you"

And with that, Mick laid her head in the crook of Bones' neck, succumbing to the exhaustion that finally took control of her.


	6. AN

hey guys! I know that most of you were expecting a new chapter instead of this A/N, so i'm sorry. I'm also sorry to announce that I am discontinuing this story - I lost my muse for it and right now, i have literally no time to spend on anything apart from my school work. I know, it's incredibly sad, but I'm in my last year of high school and I'm applying to a private sixth form and have entrance exams and other exams in the enxt four months and for the rest of the year. If anyone wishes to either take it up and continue with it or download it, please PM me first just so that I know that no one is plagiarizing my work. Thanks, sorry, big love to everyone and good luck to anyone with exams!

TheDuckKnight :)


End file.
